The Fanta ‘Funstigator’

03.13.13

Chromatic Technologies Inc. (CTI), the specialized inks company whose innovative offerings are seen on consumer products around the world, continues to carry its message in Australia. Specially marked bottles of Fanta beverages in Australia reveal an invitation to customers through temperature changes on the label wherein consumers were invited to join in an interactive campaign offering valuable prizes.

During November and December 2012, labels on Fanta Orange bottles contained thermochromic ink which revealed a challenge to consumers to perform a “Funstigator” task such as “High-five someone wearing orange,” “Pretend you’re a ninja” or “Do the robot.” The core activity of the summer campaign was a Fanta Funstigator gaming application available on the Fanta Australia Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FantaAustralia and as a smartphone app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Through the Fanta Funstigator app, users could take on Funstigator challenges as well as send them to their mates, scan characters from packs, all the while earning points and competing for a range of prizes. The Fanta Unbottle the Fun campaign was supported across multiple touch points including specially marked Fanta bottles, cinema, mobile and digital media. The promotion used different activation temperatures for the thermochromic inks based on whether the bottle was sold in the refrigerator section or the ambient shelf. On the refrigerated bottles, the blue thermochromic inks would clear out as the beverage is consumed. When the product is pulled from the refrigerator at 8° C. (46° F.) the inks were fully colored, hiding the message behind. On the flip side, the bottles sold at room temperature were utilizing thermochromic ink set to be fully colored at 29° C. (84° F.) and relied on the heat of the consumers’ hands to clear and reveal the message.

Having the ability to set specific temperatures for the two retail settings gave each Fanta fan the chance to participate in the promotion regardless of how they buy the product.

“Fanta is about bringing more fun to people’s lives,” explains Delia Maloney, flavours marketing manager, Coca-Cola South Pacific. “We were excited that innovation of thermal inks allowed us to put our packs at the heart of our ‘Unbottle the Fun’ campaign this summer. From fridge or ambient, the thermal inks revealed different ‘Funstigator’ challenges that invited our teen audience to add a little fun to their day-to-day.

“Also featured was the thermal ink ‘reveal’ of these challenges on the packs in our TV commercial, which drove our consumers to download the Funstigator app and continue to play with their friends. Interaction was key for this campaign and thermal inks made this possible on pack. Now show us your best Moonwalk!” Maloney adds

“It’s exciting to extend our interactive inks to the Coca-Cola team in Australia, after much work with the company worldwide,” explained CTI’s Melanie Edwards, manager of strategic sales initiatives. “We were happy that CTI’s thermochromic inks provided an innovative solution for the promotional Funstigator campaign involving not one, but two levels of temperature activations.”

Film labels used in the Fanta promotion were supplied to Coca Cola Australia by Labelmakers Group Pty Ltd., of Somerton, Victoria, Australia.

CTI’s thermochromic process uses temperature-activated ink technology to convey messaging, be it an indication of hot or cold temperatures, or an extension of the product’s brand. CTI’s thermochromic inks are applied in diverse markets such as security and anti-counterfeiting, food and beverage packaging and many other types of consumer packaging. Another CTI capability, photochromic ink (ink color changes due to exposure to UV light from the sun) is largely used in the textile market, but is seeing an increase in demand for consumer packaging. CTI’s inks fulfill five main functions for packaging: (1) brand message enhancement, (2) on-package promotion, (3) emotional connection with consumers, (4) safety and function and (5) interactivity.

CTI’s innovations can be found on products from such diverse companies as Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola Canada, Coors, Hallmark, Monster Energy, Mountain Dew and Pizza Hut.

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